It would take years for Indian cricket fans’ wounds from losing in the 2023 World Cup final to fully heal, even if they won the T20 World Cup on June 29, 2024, which is a much-needed result considering India had not won any ICC event since 2013.
The true impact of the word ‘cruel’ was first felt on November 19, 2023, when India, despite being the best team in the World Cup, lost to Australia in the final by six wickets, crushing the dreams of an entire nation, before it became synonymous with what happened to Vinesh Phogat at the 2023 Paris Olympics.
Many people, including the playing eleven members of the Indian team, sobbed themselves to sleep that evening, and it would have taken much longer to get over that setback, much alone two, if not for the T20 World Cup victory.
On paper, there was nothing standing in the way of India’s merciless 10-match winning streak, especially as they had already defeated Australia twice in the previous ODI series in their World Cup opener.
But regrettably, it ended abruptly on the day that nobody wanted it to, ending India’s hopes for the World Cup. Following a 240-run total, Australia managed to reach the objective thanks to a century from Travis Head and a half-century from Marnus Labuschagne.
But Labuschagne, who went undefeated at 58 off 110 balls, is retiring a piece of his equipment that night that troubled India more than eight months later. The bat is known as the Kookaburra. Labuschagne intimated that he could stop using the bat by sharing a photo of his willow that captured its worn-out state. He wrote on X, “Think it’s finally time to retire the World Cup final bat.”
The bat appears to be in poor condition, with a large piece of wood missing in the center. Nevertheless, the supporters could not pass up the opportunity to show their appreciation for the tools that helped Labuschagne win his first and Australia’s sixth ODI World Cup championship. A lot of supporters want Labuschagne to frame or donate whatever remains of the bat to the Cricket Australia Museum.
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While not many acknowledge it, Labuschagne’s fifty was just as significant to Australia’s victory as Head’s century. Head’s 137 was undoubtedly the difference-maker in the final, but the Australian chase could have gone the other way if it weren’t for Labuschagne’s unwavering and steady support at the other end. He managed to survive the scorching period of Jasprit Bumrah, but he was merely a second fiddle to the aggressive Head, whose relentless attack gradually stole the game from India.
Despite not even ranking in the top 10, Labuschagne finished the World Cup with 362 runs at an average of 40.22 and three half-centuries, far from being among the best-run scorers of the competition.
